This invention in general relates to the sport of water skiing. More particularly, the invention relates to mechanical arrangements for attaching ski ropes to pylons on a towing boat.
Competition and pleasure water ski boats commonly employ a vertical pylon fixedly mounted near the center of the boat for attaching the front end of a ski rope for towing skiers. The conventional means for attaching the ski ropes to the pylons have a number of drawbacks and limitations. Friction created between the rope and pylon, such as when the skier swings back and forth through an arc behind the boat, leads to wear in the rope. The friction also creates a condition known as rope chatter or ratcheting in which the attachment loop at the front of the rope tends to jerk as it turns around the pylon head. This creates a loss of feel and control for the skier, and competitive skiers find this particularly objectionable.
Among the prior art ski pylon attachment devices is that in which a Teflon collar is mounted to swivel on the pylon head, with the rope loop attached about the collar. However, in such an arrangement the moving elements have a tendency to bind, and the tracking is not smooth as the rope swings back and forth behind the boat.